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PlainMeds research

Which drug classes are recalled most

FDA drug recalls, grouped by how serious they are and which kinds of medications they hit.

Data updated 2026-05-15

1,179
Recall actions
103
Class I (most serious)
202
Medications affected

Across 1,179 FDA drug-recall actions in the PlainMeds catalogue, Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) medications account for the most, with 32 recalls.

PlainMeds groups 1,179 FDA drug-recall actions across 202 medications by severity class and therapeutic class. 103 are Class I, the most serious. Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) drugs lead, driven largely by the 2018 to 2019 nitrosamine contamination recalls of blood-pressure medications. A recall reflects a manufacturing or labeling problem with specific product lots, not a verdict that the drug is unsafe when taken as prescribed.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a recall is issued when a product has a manufacturing, contamination, or labeling problem with specific lots. Across 1,179 FDA enforcement actions in the PlainMeds catalogue, compiled from the FDA Enforcement Reports database, Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) medications account for the most, with 32 recalls. A recall is not a verdict that the drug is unsafe to take as prescribed. About 9% of these actions are Class I, the most serious tier, while much of the broader recall volume traces to the 2018-2019 nitrosamine (NDMA) contamination wave. Compare recall counts across drug classes, or see our methodology for how these figures are compiled.

Recalls by severity class

The FDA rates each recall by potential health risk. Class I is the most serious (reasonable probability of serious harm or death); Class III is the least.

Class I (most serious) 103 (9%)
Class II 997 (85%)
Class III (least serious) 79 (7%)

Source: FDA Enforcement Reports.

Drug classes with the most recalls

Value

What this shows Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) and Corticosteroid lead; the Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) total is driven largely by the 2018–2019 nitrosamine (NDMA/NDEA) contamination recalls.

Source FDA Enforcement Reports, grouped by PlainMeds drug class

Top recalled drug classes

# Drug class Recall actions Medications
1 Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) 32 2
2 Corticosteroid 30 7
3 Androgen Hormone 28 1
4 Calcium Supplement / Antacid 25 1
5 Calcium Channel Blocker 23 4
6 GLP-1 Receptor Agonist 23 2
7 Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) 23 5
8 Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) 23 2
9 Thyroid Hormone 18 1
10 Typical Antipsychotic (Phenothiazine) 18 2
11 Estrogen Hormone 17 1
12 Opioid Analgesic 17 5
13 HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) 16 5
14 Mineral Supplement 16 1
15 Glycopeptide Antibiotic 15 1

How to read this

According to the FDA, a recall is an action to remove or correct a product that violates FDA regulations. Class I recalls, the most serious tier, account for about 9% of the enforcement actions tracked here through 2025; you can compare recall counts across drug classes in the chart above. A few things matter when reading this:

  • A recall is about products, not prescriptions. Most recalls affect specific manufactured lots (a contamination, a mislabeled bottle, a dosage error) and are often initiated voluntarily by the manufacturer. They do not mean the medication is unsafe when taken as prescribed.
  • Concentrated classes usually mean concentrated manufacturing. A class topping this list often reflects a single root cause across many products, such as the nitrosamine contamination that drove large blood-pressure-drug (ARB) recalls, rather than a class-wide safety flaw.
  • Severity is the FDA's call, not ours. Class I/II/III is assigned by the FDA based on the potential for harm; we report the agency's classification as-is.

If your medication is recalled, do not stop taking it without advice. The specific recall may affect only certain lots or manufacturers. Your pharmacist can check whether your prescription is affected.

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.

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